The federal undercover operation that netted two local mayors and two lobbyists planning elaborate and illegal kick-backs in one day didn’t just throw a wrench into their plans to steal hundreds of thousands, even millions, from the federal government. It also canceled the highly-publicized charity benefit “mixed martial arts” match next month between former and […]
You mean, there were only two? That’s one of the questions I am left with after Tuesday’s big news that Sweetwater Mayor Manny Maroño and Miami Lakes Mayor Michael “Muscles” Pizzi were arrested on federal bribery and extortion charges. Ladra is not too surprised that these two mayors — both of whom have been accused of abusing their power in […]
The rumored recall against Miami Gardens Mayor Oliver Gilbert has not materialized. Despite claims that there would be a petition filed last Monday by recall maven Vanessa Brito — who loves to take credit for the recalls of former Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Alvarez and Commissioner Natacha Seijas, even though it was Norman Braman‘s money that did it — there had been no paperwork […]
Voters in Miami Lakes changed the way that council members are elected, choosing to choose them citywide instead of by district. Or did they? The problem with sending absentee ballots to everyone, whether they request it or not, is that you could end up sending ABs to ghosts. At least one was, in the case […]
With all the absentee ballot shenanigans going on here and there, one would think the county and a respectful municipality would not even imagine having an election that is exclusively and entirely through the mail. But that is exactly what the tony town of Miami Lakes is doing this month with a proposed charter change […]
Miami Lakes residents could change the way that their local leaders are picked in a special vote later this month that would change the city charter to have all the council members elected at large rather than by district. And at least one resident is supporting it publicly: Mayor Michael “Muscles” Pizzi. After voters started […]
Ten days after she submitted petitions for the recall of Doral Vice Mayor Bettina Rodriguez Aguilera — and more than a week after she said the city clerk stole almost half of them — gypsy political con-artist Vanessa Brito still hasn’t produced the 1,936 signatures she claims to have collected. Or the 898 she says went […]
Surprise, surprise. Vanessa Brito lied again. A very ill-planned recall of newly-elected Doral Vice Mayor Bettina Rodriguez-Aguilera has died a quiet and unceremonious death. Especially when compared to its high-faluttin’, heavily-promoted and fraudulent birth. Miami Voice Chairwoman and political gypsy conartist Vanessa Brito — who claims credit for recalling former Miami-Dade Commissioner Natacha Millan, although she was […]
You gotta love how Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen takes charge. Ladra is going to call her La Reina from now on. Not only because, as the first Hispanic woman elected to the U.S. House, she is political royalty. Not only because it gives me a quick fix at my alliteration addiction. But also because she rules like […]
Ladra is beside herself. Part of the reason this watchdog needed that short sabbatical I took the past few weeks was because of the guilt I feel over having let down the people of Miami Lakes. Sure, I was licking my wounds. Some of “November is coming” came and rolled over me. I was also […]